Sediment trap



March 1.1, 1952 w VON N 2,588,437

SEDIMENT TRAP Filed De c. 1945 FRANK w. VON TUNGELN ATTORNEY Paiented Mar. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,sgs437 SEDIMENIT TRAP Frank W. Von Tungein, United Stat.es Navy Philadelphia, Pa.

amended April 30, 1 928; 370 O. G. 757) This invention relates 170 a new and useful im-- provement in a water sediment trap which isparticularly suitable for use in a rain-water collecting system.

It has been the practice throughout the ages to collect rainfall in storage tanks or cisterns for future use. While water as it; falls from the skies in the form of rain is clean and chemically soft upon hitting the surface of the ground or any other object, such as a roof of a building,

it becomes contaminated v7ith the 10ose material lying an these surfaces as they are carried a1ong with the flow. Various methods have been employed for the purification of the water as gathered from surfaces during anal after a rainfall 1 many o1 which have employed some meang of;

Settling out the contaminating dirt and solid matter by allowing the water to stand for a period of time in a containeer, tank or cistern. This method of clearing the sediment from the rainfall s. as collected from roofs of buildings or other surfaces, has the objection that the settling process req uires a considerable period of time and results in an increasing accumulation of Sediment. The first; run 0f water contains practically an the loose sediment on the surfaces contacted by said water so that after these surfaces are immedi ate1y washed clean the run-01T water during the remainder of that particular rainfall period will be free from sediment to a large degree.

The principal object of this invention is 110 trap the first run of water from the collecting surface; such as, for instance, the roof of a building, into a small receptacle so that after it has filled to a given level with the dirty water the remaining water will then fiow on into the main containerS as clean, uncontaminated water.

A further object of this invention is 120 provide a receptacle with a suitable drain so th'at the trapped water, sediment and contamination may be dra'wn off and disposed of making the system ready to repeat the cleansing operation at the next period of rainfall.

Another object of this invention is 1:0 provide a sediment trap with rain water conductors so,4;

connected as to intercept the first flow of dirty water after which the clean water will go to the reservoir. And a further object of this invention 15 to provide a receptacle with a draw-qfi cock, or va1ve so located that clean water may be drawn otigj; above the Sediment 1evel, after the sediment ha s sett1ed. And a still further object of this invention is sedi ment in main reservoirs by means such as a trapping receptacle for intercepting the first fiow of min water from the collecting surface.

These and ether objects of this invention and the various features and details of the construction, operation and use thereof, are hereinafter mote fully sei: forth and described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which like numbers refer like parts and in which the figure is an isometric view cf the sediment receptacle.

Referring new to the drawing, numeral l designates a closed tank or receptacle of any selected shape, such as cylindrical. made of any suitable material such as, for instance, galvanized sheetirorl, anal with vent pipe connection at 2. Fasten d securely in the bottom of said tank I is a. drain pipe 3 that is opened and closed through a dump va1ve 4. A drain-off valve 5 allows water, after settling and free of sediment. be drawn out of tank l at this point.

The operation is Such thai; rain water gathered from a roof flows down a pipe 6 into tank l, carrying with it sediment and contamination until the water level in said tank I rises to such a heighi: as to back up the water in pipe 6 to the junction of said pipe 6, with a pipe T, at point 8. The water, new c1ear of sediment continues to floyv through pipes 6 and 7 into the main reservon.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended that this invention be 1imited to such disclo5ure, and changes and modifications may be made and incorporated within the scope 0f the claims. l

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment 0f any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. A sediment trap to collect rain water from roof spouts er other surface collecting means, said sediment trap consisting of a vertical pipe having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end constituting a rain water in1et for receiving water from said surface collecting means, a vented tank provided with a side Wall and bottom, said lower end cf said pipe having an e1bow in communication with an opening in the side wall of said tank near the bottom of said tank, a. drain pipe in the bottom of said tank and provided with a, dump valve, anal a, T-connection in said vertical pipe at a level above said elbow for deto p t the acc of contaminating 66 livering c1ean rain water to a storage means from 3 said vertical pipe after the flrst run of water from the surface collecting means during a rain which has fllled the tank to said 1evel.

2. The sedlment trap of claim 1, and a, draw-ofi cock in said side of the tank and located below 5 REFERENCE'S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Liggett; May 25, 1886 Alexander Mar. 5, 1901 Perkins Ju1y 15, 1902 Cox Nov. 8, 1904 Everett Aug. 20, 1918 McGrath Aug. 12, 1919 Donnallon Jan. 3, 1939 

